1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to communicating pollution information and, in particular, to a system and method for generating and transmitting pollution information through an integrated wireless communication network.
2. Related Art
Regulation of allowable pollution discharges into the environment from pollution sources are governed by federal, state and/or local laws. Generally, the least strict pollution criteria are defined by federal law. Federal agencies typically enforce various federal pollution laws by requiring timely reporting of pollution discharges and violations of criteria, by requiring clean-up of the pollution discharges, and by requiring termination of the discharges from the pollution sources. Furthermore, state laws, local laws and/or company policies may set stricter criteria at specific locations. Such pollution criteria define limits of pollution sources that may, or are, polluting air, water and/or soil. Pollution discharges can include materials, chemicals, or even noise.
Detectors are used to detect the presence of pollution. Such detectors, placed in suitable locations, provide information that may be used to detect a violation of an applicable pollution criteria and provide data to ascertain the extent of the discharge. Or, detectors may be used to demonstrate compliance with applicable pollution criteria (in that failure to detect pollution discharges implies that the pollution source is operating in compliance with applicable pollution discharge regulations).
A threshold is defined in a pollution detector such that when pollution is detected at a level at least equal to the threshold, the pollution detector generates a signal and/or data indicating that pollution levels are exceeding the threshold. Data may include, but is not limited to, the level of pollution, times of detection and/or type of pollution detected.
However, such pollution detectors are often monitored on a periodic basis. Thus, data provided by such pollution detectors would indicate a pollution discharge after the initial discharge event. If the discharge is ongoing, serious pollution criteria violations may occur. If the discharge is ongoing and not reported in a timely manner, even from a low rate discharge that would not otherwise cause a criteria violation had the discharge been detected and remedied in a timely manner, very serious pollution violations may result. Regulatory agencies may impose expensive fines, require expensive clean-up measures, may require monitoring and/or may shut down the polluting facility.
Pollution detectors may be located in difficult to access locations. For example, pollution detectors configured to monitor water conditions may be submerged. Or, pollution detectors configured to monitor ground water conditions may be located deep inside a well. Or, pollution detectors configured to monitor air pollution may be located on high structures or seasonally inaccessible locations such as mountain tops. Or, pollution detectors configured to monitor air pollution may be placed on mobile equipment such as large earth movers at an ore mine. Such difficult to access pollution detectors may result in the untimely reporting of discharges and/or may result in increased monitoring expenses.
Also, if the data from the pollution detectors are manually collected, the data collection process may be labor intensive and expensive. Furthermore, data entry may also be time consuming and expensive. Accordingly, many hours of data collection and entry time may be required for even a relatively simple pollution detection system.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry for providing a pollution information communication system that more timely indicates the nature, location and/or other pertinent information associated with a pollution discharge. Also, there is a heretofore unaddressed need to provide a less expensive to monitor and a more conveniently accessed pollution information communication system.